We’re back with another segment of the Google 2022 Search Report. In our previous blogs, we analyzed the search trends in Indonesia, India, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and, Australia & New Zealand. In our today’s blog, let’s see how the search trends have picked up in Thailand in 2022.
Google’s annual Year in Search report consolidates some of the latest consumer trends in APAC, which can help brands gauge what to expect from their existing and potential customers in the current year. The report consists of findings from 12 APAC markets, including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Australia & New Zealand.
Here are the major findings of the Year in Search report for the Thai market.
1. Cultural Identity
As is the case with most APAC markets, search trends suggest that Thais too desire to be a part of the global culture while celebrating traditions and victories that are uniquely Thai.
Thus, the search interest in “soft power” has picked up by 500% in Thailand as Thais try to understand how that places their country on a unique footing. Also, interest in the Thai grilled coconut dessert “ขนมบ้าบิน“ peaked to lep by 240%.
In sports too, Thais are especially finding national pride in their sportspersons, leading to an all-time high in searches, as their teams break records while representing Thailand.
2. Professional Identity
As was the case in most other APAC markets that we have analyzed so far, Thais have also begun showing more interest in the pursuit of better jobs, which is clearly evident from their search trends.
Moreover, search interest around work-life balance rose by an overwhelming 100%, which shows that Thais have become increasingly conscious of where they work and the environment and opportunities that they are offered by their employers.
3. Personal Identity
Similar to most other APAC markets, Thais have also started giving more weightage to different forms of self-care. Thus, it’s not surprising to see the search interest in “operational burnout” increasing by 30% in Thailand. This number stood at 20% in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia.
Also, Thais seem to have become a lot more conscious of their surroundings and the people around them. This is apparent from the growing search interest around “LGBTQ”, “GenZ”, and “millennials”.
Also, Thais are also trying to be more aware of their own society, which is indicated by the massive rise of 800% in search interest around “equal marriage” after the passage of the first reading on the floor of the House of Representatives.
4. Value Hunting
As costs rise, people in Thailand are carefully considering how and when they spend, seizing the right moment for the best deals. This is clearly evident in the 100% rise in search interest around the terms “lowest price” and “pay later”. This can be mainly attributed to the increase in the cost of living, which consequently resulted in the continued growth of budget shopping in Thailand.
5. Economic Literacy
With the global economy remaining uncertain, Thais are looking to boost their financial knowledge — be it learning about inflation, looking for financial assistance to get them through, or monitoring the price rise of the essential item itself.
Thus, it is hardly surprising that search interest in “cost of living” has risen by 40%, which indicates a growing interest in Thai government schemes aimed at reducing the cost of living. Moreover, people are also trying to find the prices of commodities, which is indicative of their concern about price rises.
Bottom Line
The search trends shared in the report will help marketers unlock consumer trends in Thailand and APAC, and find business growth through Search and marketing innovations. Marketers need to look into these search trends to understand evolving consumer trends and identify the growing consumer needs, not only in Thailand but across the entire APAC region.
To delve deeper into the findings of the report, download the full report by clicking here.